Arch Linux

technolog

Member

From: Europe / Slovenia / Grosuplje

Registered: 2012-01-28

Posts: 117

Computer performance grinds to a halt when I plug AC

Basically, when I plug the AC power to my laptop, the performance becomes unbearable.

Processes that were using 10% previously, shoot up to 60%.

Linux is to at fault, because even the pre-initrd bootup time is really slow, 5 times the usual.

How would I go about debugging this?

x33a

Forum Fellow

Registered: 2009-08-15

Posts: 4,587

Re: Computer performance grinds to a halt when I plug AC

Can you reproduce it with an Arch live media? or any other distro?

technolog

Member

From: Europe / Slovenia / Grosuplje

Registered: 2012-01-28

Posts: 117

Re: Computer performance grinds to a halt when I plug AC

It is even a pre-boot problem. It is OS - agnostic.

Everything takes 5 times as much time as it normally does, that includes the boot sequence, the amount of time the initial HP logo is shown, and also the time it takes for "mouse not found" message to go away.

Any idea?

R00KIE

Forum Fellow

From: Between a computer and a chair

Registered: 2008-09-14

Posts: 4,734

Re: Computer performance grinds to a halt when I plug AC

That sounds like a bios/firmware problem, you might want to look for a bios update or send an inquiry to HP, although I would advise not to mention linux out right.

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R00KIE
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ewaller

Administrator

From: Pasadena, CA

Registered: 2009-07-13

Posts: 20,655

Re: Computer performance grinds to a halt when I plug AC

Do any messages appear in the journal or in the output of dmesg after you attach the power supply?
What are processors doing during this time?  At what frequency are they running and in what C states are they?  (powertop can help with this.)
Also, what does powertop think about your tunables?

What kernel are you using?
What file systems are you using?

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bjo

Member

Registered: 2011-09-10

Posts: 94

Re: Computer performance grinds to a halt when I plug AC

I had an issue with a somehow broken power supply and a Dell Latitude D430. The laptop recognizes an "unsupported power supply", it does not load the battery and sticks the cpu at 800MHz. If I unplugged the power supply, the laptop is able to run at all frequencies. Maybe HP has similar implementations in their BIOS and power supplies.

Last edited by bjo (2015-04-24 12:16:10)